Mitty trailed 18-10 before scoring 18 consecutive second-quarter points to grab a 28-18 lead. Despite the score, it was a hard fought game. Mitty players said it was the toughest they have faced all season.

Mitty is 4-0 and Newark Memorial drops to 6-1.

McClymonds (9-0) scored the final 11 points to break a tie and beat Oak Grove (2-4) in a rematch of the NorCal Division I overtime final of last season.

McClymonds’ run coincided with a shoulder injury suffered by Oak Grove guard Kelly Kaigler as he dived for a loose ball with the score tied, 40-40, with 2:30 left. He did not return.

A blistering shot by Moises Escalera in the final minutes not only tied the score for the Yerba Buena boys soccer team, it was among the defining plays in a day full of upsets at the Homestead Christmas Cup.

Escalera’s strike would be a called a “world-class goal,” in soccer terminology, but it may not have been even the best of the day.

In a wild back-and-forth affair, Lincoln tied Santa Clara 3-3 on a bicycle kick by sophomore Arnold Lopez in injury time to send the match into penalty kicks.

In consecutive matches at Oak Grove, three Santa Clara Valley Athletic League teams — Santa Clara, Palo Alto and Los Gatos — were eliminated despite coming into the day with a combined record of 23-1-5.

Los Gatos senior Nick Kalpin has been selected as the Mercury News player of the year.

Kalpin set Santa Clara County season records in rushing (2,553 yards in 312 carries) and touchdowns (41) and did so in 12 games while leading the Wildcats into the Central Coast Section Open Division semifinals.

The choice was a tough one. It basically came down to three players: Kalpin, Gilroy quarterback Jamie Jensen and Oak Grove running back Nevin Gardiner.

The results of the Mitchell Report shocked me. Mostly because of one name: Matt Herges.

Many have had their suspicions that players like Roger Clemens, Miguel Tejada and Eric Gagne used performance-enhancing drugs. But Matt Herges?

Herges is a journeyman pitcher, never drafted, probably can’t break 90 mph on the radar gun. He’s a strong Christian. He’s a family man. He even won the Good Guy award as voted by writers, including myself, who covered the Giants in 2004.

He told me his college coach never thought he was good enough to make it to the big leagues. And he did, pitching especially well in middle relief for the Colorado Rockies during the postseason and earning a contract extension.

What a great story. And now, such a sad one. For all of sports, high schools included.

High School Sports Focus, the venerable Friday night highlight show now in its 16th season, will go off the air at the end of this month.

The end was announced on the live show Friday night and KICU-TV general manager Tom Raponi provided a few more details Monday. There will be two more live shows, filmed over the next two weeks, followed by a taped show, perhaps a repeat, shown on Dec. 28 to end an era.

Hosts Mike Sklut and Brodie Brazil, and reporter Anna Kagarakis will not be retained by the station.